


True Heroes

by SharkGirl



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Never Met, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crime Fighting, EmiMike, Explosions, Hero Organization, Implied MilaSara (if you squint), Implied SeungChuChu - Freeform, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, MichEmil, Near Death Experiences, People in Danger, Sharing a Bed, Some adult language, Superheroes, implied leoji, implied victuuri, no one dies, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 01:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11430090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: Affinità has only andwillonly ever work with his long-time partner and sister, code name: Aria. But after their most recent mission, he'll find that he's been given a new assignment: Training the organization's newest hero.Written for Mara for theEmiMike Exchange!!





	1. Affinità

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MaraSenpai1997](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaraSenpai1997/gifts).



> Hello everyone!! It's July 8th somewhere (not my time zone, but I'm too excited not to post)  
> So, here's my exchange gift for Mara (@lavanderstarcatcher)  
> I went with the Superhero AU prompt and I really, really hope you like it!!
> 
> Beta'd by the fabulous Nerily and fantastic Laura (my loves!!) ♥  
> Please enjoy~

Michele sped forward, narrowly missing getting hit by a car. Thankfully, it was already braking, so it came to a complete stop just in time for him to jump over it. He slid across the hood, letting out a breath as he landed and continued on.

A quick glance over his shoulder showed that Sara hadn’t fallen behind. She easily dodged the parked vehicle and kept pace. He sighed with relief and faced forward once again, lifting a hand to press against his earpiece.

“Cutting it a little close, Statistician,” he said with a frown.

“My calculations were perfect,” a voice replied flatly, crackling with a bit of static. “I knew the light was changing and that the car would stop before you got to it.”

“And if it ran the light?” Michele asked, but didn’t receive an answer. Instead, a much more chipper voice came over the line.

“Spotted him,” it said cheerfully. “And right where you’d said he’d be, Seung.”

“Don’t use my name, Selca,” Seung-gil corrected him, sounding slightly annoyed.

Michele rolled his eyes. It didn’t matter if the world knew Seung-gil and Phichit’s identities. Their powers allowed them to work behind the scenes, using the radio and surveillance cameras to lead the rest of their team to the suspect.

“Sorry, Statistician,” Phichit replied. “Anyway, our guy is four blocks down and to your left,” he informed them. Michele looked over at Sara and she nodded.

They continued moving forward, nearing their target, but they’d barely gone two blocks before Seung-gil’s voice came over the line again.

“Turn left now,” he ordered and, although Michele questioned his reasons, he did as he was told.

“Seung, they’re going to miss him!” Phichit whined.

“No, they won’t,” Seung-gil said. “He’s on the move.”

Michele and Sara exchanged glances before picking up speed. If he’d caught on and they missed him, the chances of them finding him again would be slim to none.

The end of the alley was fast approaching and when they reached it, they found themselves surrounded by the afternoon lunch rush of office workers trying to get things done before their break was over.

“He’s going to be hard to spot,” Sara said, coming to a stop beside him. “What I wouldn’t give for Selca’s powers right about now.”

Michele nodded and scanned the crowd. They’d been briefed on their target’s appearance, but having a photographic memory like Phichit would have made their job a lot easier.

“I see him!” Phichit buzzed in his ear. “He’s walking in front of the flower shop right now.”

“Got him,” Michele answered and casually walked over. Of course, the moment he stepped out into the street wearing his uniform and mask, people started to realize something was going on.

“Hey, isn’t that Affinità?” He heard from behind him.

“Oh, so Aria must be here, too,” said another. “Oh, there she is!”

Their target immediately turned toward them, his eyes wide. Michele raised his hand. “Stop right there-” But then the man was running. “Damn,” Michele cursed and whipped his head back. “Aria!”

“On it.” Sara smirked and lifted her arms, holding out her hands and spreading her fingers. The man was suddenly lifted up into the air, his legs still moving. Though, when he realized he’d been caught, they slowed to a stop.

As easily as handling a used tissue, Sara brought the man over, letting him hover just in front of Michele.

“All yours, Affinità,” she said.

“Thank you, Aria.” He cleared his throat and faced the suspect. He winced as boiling hot fury poured off of the man in waves. “You’re angry.”

“No shit,” the man snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

The people on the sidewalk began to crowd around them. But, since he sensed no fear, Michele didn’t bother to call for back up. The only thing he felt from them was curiosity. But he shouldn’t have been focusing on them. Not when he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

“I believe you have some plans that don’t belong to you,” Michele said. Again he felt a sudden wave of heat, like he’d opened an oven and stood too close. “I understand that you’re upset-”

“That’s an understatement!” the man roared. “This is degrading,” he spat. “Haven’t you _freaks_ ever heard of probable cause? Instead, you just go around-”

“Have you taken the plans?” Michele asked him directly this time, waiting for an answer.

“I didn’t take shit and I’m not saying another word until I speak to my lawyer.”

An odd yet familiar sensation washed over Michele. It was cold at first and then stifling, like something was constricting around him.  He shook his head to clear the feeling and turned toward Sara. “He’s lying.”

With a sweet little smile, Sara moved her hands in a circle, turning her captive upside down. He sputtered, his face taking on the color of a pickled beet.

“Put me down!” he snarled, struggling to keep his coat closed. Sara ignored him and gave him a little shake. That was all it took. Two flash drives fell out of his pocket and clattered onto the sidewalk, followed by a vial of an unrecognizable substance.

Sara lifted the man a bit higher so Michele could walk over and pick the items up. Then she righted him and slowly lowered him to the ground. “You were saying?” she asked, but this time the man remained silent.

The police showed up a second later and took the man into custody. Michele and Sara were about to leave, but they were bombarded by television crews thrusting microphones and cameras into their faces, all eager to get their side of the story. But years of working as heroes made this task easy – even if it was still annoying.

“Who was that?” a reporter asked.

“Was he part of a villain syndicate or was he working alone?”

“How did you know he had the plans? What were they?”

Michele held up his hands and spoke, staring directly into one of the cameras. “The assailant had in his possession stolen property,” he said. “We have confiscated the items and will return them to their rightful owners at a later date. Thank you.”

He placed a hand on Sara’s lower back and directed her toward an opening in the crowd. The reporters continued to hound them with questions, but they casually walked away, though Sara did stop when a little girl jumped up and down next to her mother.

“Aria, you’re so strong and pretty!” she said, looking up at her with wide eyes. “I want to be a hero like you one day!”

“Well,” Sara smiled and knelt down so she was at her level. “I’m sure you’ll make a fine hero.” She pat the little girl’s head and then joined Michele, waving as they stepped into a sleek, black car that had pulled up the same time the police had arrived.

Once they were seated, Michele groaned and let his head fall back against the headrest. “That was exhausting,” he complained, removing his earpiece and cracking his neck.

“Oh, it wasn’t so bad,” Sara offered, crossing one leg over the other. “We didn’t have to run too far.”

“Not he running,” he said, straightening and looking her in the eye. “You know how I get in crowds.”

Her eyes softened and she nodded. “I know.”

Unlike Sara’s telekinesis, Michele’s power didn’t allow him to manipulate. In fact, his was impossible to control. Michele had the ability to sense others’ emotions. He couldn’t read minds like a telepath, but he could _feel_ what they felt. That was how he was able to tell the man was lying.

It was a useful power. Good for what they needed to accomplish. But it could be overwhelming, especially when he was surrounded by other people, each of them unknowingly projecting their feelings onto him.

Sometimes it was hard to tell if what he was feeling was their emotions or his own.

“Well, you did great, Mickey,” she assured him, placing a hand on his knee. He smiled and leaned back again, closing his eyes and letting the gentle rocking of the car help him relax.

 

When they stepped into their headquarters, they were immediately attacked – in a sense – by Phichit and Seung-gil.

“Great job, you guys!” Phichit exclaimed, bouncing excitedly from foot to foot. “I told you Seung made the right call.”

“No you didn’t,” his partner replied, drawing his brows down. “You doubted my calculations.”

“Only for a moment,” he apologized, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Deep down, I believed you knew _exactly_ what you were doing.”

“I see.” Seung-gil blinked and then faced Michele and Sara. “The boss would like to see you.”

“Good. I have to return the stolen items, anyway.” Michele stepped forward. “Come, Sara.”

“Just you,” Seung-gil corrected. “He wishes to speak with you regarding your new assignment.”

That was odd. From the moment they’d joined the organization, he and Sara had been assigned every mission together. Still, Michele wanted to finish up and go home, and it would be easier to do that if he complied. “All right.”

“I’ll be waiting out here, Mickey,” Sara sang and then sidled up to Seung-gil. “Did you see how I snagged that guy?”

“I did.”

“Impressive, right?” she asked and when Seung-gil didn’t answer, she pouted.

Normally, Michele would have demanded that the other man give his sister the attention she so rightly deserved. But he’d long-since grown tired of fighting that battle. Seung-gil’s indifference to Sara rolled off of him in waves and, confidentially, Michele was glad that he showed no interest in her. It made protecting his baby sister’s virtue all the easier.

Michele felt Phichit’s giddiness and heard his laughter echoing down the hallway as he turned a corner, pausing when he arrived in front of their boss’s door. He lifted a hand and knocked once, reaching into his pocket with the other to retrieve the stolen items.

“Who is it?” a voice sang from the other side. Michele had almost forgotten that their newly promoted boss had officially taken over starting today.

“It’s Affinità,” he answered, waiting patiently to be granted entry. A moment later, the door opened and Michele was greeted by their new boss’s assistant, the recently retired hero, Katsuki Yuuri.

“Hello, Michele,” he greeted and stepped to the side so he could walk in.

“Ah, there you are, Fini.” Victor beamed from behind his large desk. He laced his fingers and rested his chin upon them, his elbows supporting his weight. “Great job today.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Michele bobbed his head and took the seat Yuuri offered him.

“I’ll go get you two some coffee.” Yuuri bowed and walked out of the office, shutting the door behind him. For the life of him, Michele could not understand why such a successful hero would decide to retire and become the assistant to the man playing leader before him. But he would not voice his opinion on the matter. Nor would he question why Yakov had promoted Victor after the amazing amount of risky stunts he’d pulled over the years.

Still, no one could deny that he was the best at what he did.

“You can take your mask off in here, you know,” Victor said, cocking his head to the side. “No need for anonymity when you’re with me.” He grinned.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather keep it on,” Michele replied.

Although other employees of the organization, such as Phichit and Seung-gil, walked around baring their faces, most of the other heroes remained in costume during working hours.

Heroes tended to cause a lot of collateral damage, but more than that, it was safer for them to keep their identities a secret. Outside of work, Michele and Sara led normal lives, attending their final year of college and, hopefully, landing good jobs in the real world.

Not that they _needed_ to. It wasn’t as if being a hero didn’t pay well enough.

But it was still nice to have a bit of normalcy in their lives.

“As you wish.” Victor gave a little shrug, his smile never fading. “Have you the stolen plans?” he asked, holding his hand out. Michele nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out the two flash drives and the mysterious vile.

Victor took them and pressed a button next to his phone. A second later, there was a knock on the door. And, once again, Victor happily asked who was there, as if he hadn’t just called them.

“It’s Mélomanie, Mr. Nikiforov,” a calm voice answered. “And I’ve brought Jìnmò with me.”

Since Yuuri wasn’t there, Michele immediately stood up and answered the door. He held it open and allowed the two men inside. The one who’d spoken offered him a hearty thanks. He’d been recruited about the same time as Michele and Sara. Leo’s power was the manipulation of music, but since that didn’t offer much in the way of capturing or defeating villains, he worked in the lab with his partner, Guang Hong.

Michele found that odd, though, because Guang Hong’s power would be of great use in the field. He had the ability to completely immerse someone in a scenario or world of his own creation. It was like causing people to dream while they were awake. But, he’d chosen to stay with Leo, even though the two had only met at his orientation.

Odd.

He hadn’t been paying much attention to what Victor said to them – he thought it would be rude to eavesdrop – and suddenly the two were walking out of the office, the plans and vile in hand.

“Well, now that I’ve turned in the evidence, I suppose I’ll take my leave,” Michele said, beginning to stand up again, but Victor stopped him.

“Hold on a moment.” He lifted his hand. “We still need to discuss the real reason I called you in today.”

“The real reason?” Michele quirked a brow.

“Yes.” And, as if on cue, there was another knock at the door. This time, Victor got to his feet and walked over, opening it without question. Yuuri was standing there, holding their cups of coffee, but behind him was a taller man.

It was a hero Michele had never seen before, with an insanely bright white outfit, accented with red and gold, and a mask of the same colors around his eyes. He kept a neatly trimmed beard, which starkly contrasted with his unruly, light hair, which seemed to go in every direction at once. He was smiling widely at Michele, a hand outstretched in greeting and his blue eyes shining from behind his mask.

“Affinità,” Victor began, gesturing toward the newcomer. “I’d like you to meet your new partner.”

Michele stared at the man in front of him, whose smile didn’t falter even when Michele slapped his offered hand away.

“I only work with Aria,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, yes, I know!” Victor sang, undaunted. “And the two of you work so well together.”

“Then what is your complaint?” Michele asked, adding a belated, “Sir.”

“I haven’t any complaint,” his boss answered cheerfully. “But we have a new recruit and I thought it would be best if one of our seasoned heroes took him under his wing, so to speak.”

New? Perhaps this man was younger than he appeared.

Michele pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to face his boss. “I’m not a babysitter.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do such a menial task,” Victor continued, his smile finally cracking. “This assignment is to better both of you.” Then he was all grins again. “Not every mission can be completed using only you and sister in the field,” he explained. “You’ll need to learn how to synergize with the other heroes.”

“Syner-”

“Now, I’ve taken enough of your time.” Victor shooed them out of the office before taking one of the mugs of coffee from Yuuri and wrapping his arm around his waist. “Georgi will fill you in on the rest.” And then he shut the door.

Michele stared at the frosted glass, the freshly-painted golden letters of his boss’s name mocking him somehow. Then he turned toward his new ‘partner.’

“So, that could have gone better,” the man finally spoke, his voice jovial. “Let me first say that it’s an honor to be working with you, Affinità. I’ve been a huge fan since-”

“I’m sorry. There’s been a mistake,” Michele interrupted him. “I only work with Aria.”

“I know,” he replied. “The two of you are an inspiration!” he cheered. “In fact, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have decided to pursue my dream of becoming a hero.” He reached out for one of Michele’s hands and took it in his.

Michele looked down at where the other man was holding him and then back up, raising his brows. He wasn’t lying. Michele would know, after all. In fact, the only thing Michele could sense was pure joy radiating off of the other hero, brighter than his gaudy leotard.

“Alright, fine,” Michele said, pulling his hand free. “I’m sure this is just a temporary thing, since you’re new.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s go check in with Georgi and figure out what I’m supposed to do with you.”

“Okay, Affinità!” He beamed, giddiness now hitting Michele like a truck. He winced at its intensity.

“Yeah, fine. Let’s go.” He began leading him toward the quartermaster’s office.

Although the new hero was taller than Michele, he seemed to struggle to keep up with him. Or maybe he just normally bounced around like that.

“By the way,” he broke the comfortable silence Michele had been enjoying. “My alias is Herkules and my power is-”

“I didn’t ask,” Michele cut him off and turned down another hallway, Herkules almost passing it.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just so thrilled to be working with you.”

“I know.” Michele came to a halt and faced him, taping his temple with a finger. “I can tell.”

His cheeks tinted, but his smile didn’t fade. “That’s so cool.”

Michele sighed and rolled his eyes, turning back toward the door and opening it. He stepped into the large room. It looked like a normal office from the outside, but it was as tall as a hangar within. People in white lab coats and soldiers in all black flitted about, grabbing things from shelves and loading vehicles.

“Wow,” Herkules gaped, his eyes going wide behind his mask. “This place is amazing.”

“Yeah.” Michele had to agree, though he’d gotten used to the supply room in his years working for the organization.

“Fini!” a deep voice called and both Michele and his trainee turned to see Georgi walking toward them. He was in charge of the supply room. Nothing traveled in or out of it without his knowledge, and no _one_ for that matter. “So, this is the new recruit Victor mentioned.” He brought a hand to his chin, assessing Herkules. “I like the outfit.”

“Thank you!” Herkules flashed a bright smile and puffed his chest out. “My mom made it.”

“Of course she did,” Michele muttered under his breath, suddenly thinking that the man beside him was _much_ younger than he looked. “We’re here for our assignment,” he added, loud enough to be heard.

“No assignment yet,” Georgi said, picking up something someone handed him, weighing it in his hands, and giving it back, but not before rattling off a few numbers that the other person quickly jotted down. “That is, no official assignment.” He offered Michele an apologetic smile. “Starting tomorrow morning, you’ll be giving…uh…?”

“Herkules,” the new hero answered.

“Yes,” Georgi continued. “You’ll be giving Herkules a tour of the city and a rundown of the rules.”

“A tour? That will take all day!” Michele complained. Then he lowered his voice and stepped closer to Georgi. “And I have classes tomorrow.”

“So?” Georgi blinked. “Take him with you?”

“I prefer to keep my business and personal life separate,” he said and, when he realized Herkules could hear him, he offered him a half shrug. “You understand.”

“Of course,” Herkules answered. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Well, if that’s the case, you’ll have to skip your lectures tomorrow,” Georgi said plainly. And before Michele could interject, he went on, “It is extremely important that Herkules here gets brought up to speed.” He drew his brows down. “The plans that were stolen…” But he shook his head. “I’m sorry. This is not the time or place to discuss such sensitive material.”

Michele agreed, though now his interest was piqued.

“In any event, the tour begins tomorrow morning.” Georgi reached for Herkules’s hand and shook it. “Welcome to the team.”

 

Michele frowned as he and Herkules made their way back toward the entrance. He had not been expecting an assignment like this, or a new partner. He and Sara had always worked together. And they’d always done a good job. He understood that Herkules needed some onboarding, but did _Michele_ have to be the one to do it?

“Fini!” Mila waved when she spotted him, her fiery hair flicker. The flames were tame now and only warmed Michele’s chin as she walked by, keen on greeting the newcomer. “Hi there, I’m-”

“Plamya.” Herkules stared with wide eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Herkules.”

“Cool name.” Mila put a hand on her hip. “You working with Fini?”

“Yes, I’m his new partner,” he answered.

“Temporary partner,” Michele corrected. “I’m just giving him his orientation and then I’ll be back with Aria.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Aww, and here I was hoping she’d want to work with me.” Mila pouted and then spun around on her heel. “Ah, well. If you’re looking for her, she’s waiting outside.”

“Thanks,” he said and then starting walking toward the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Fini?” Herkules asked, using the nickname Victor had graced him with during his first stint as group leader – long before his promotion.

In an attempt to be smart, Michele threw one back, “See you then, Herk.” But it had the opposite effect. Instead being miffed, like Michele was, Herkules shone brighter than before, his happiness almost blinding. Hell, it was so contagious, Michele was beginning to feel cheery himself – an unfortunate side effect of his power.

No longer able to stand the overwhelming emotion, Michele spared a curt wave and walked outside to find his sister.

 

That night, in the comfort of their shared apartment, Michele openly complained about his new assignment.

“Oh, it’s not so bad,” Sara soothed him, patting his head where it lay on her lap.

“Not so bad?” Michele repeated, frowning. “Sara, we’re being separated.”

“For a day.” She chuckled. “Mickey, it’ll be fine.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re happy about this.” He pouted, disliking that there wasn’t even a hint of disappointment or sadness coming from her.

“I’m not happy that we’re not together,” she explained. “But I’m kind of excited to get to work with some of the others.”

“Abandoned,” he lamented. “By my own sister.”

“Oh, Mickey. Don’t be so dramatic.” She snorted, swatting at his chest.

“And this new kid they’ve got me with.” He sighed. “He’s so energetic and…” He struggled to find the right word. “ _Happy_.”

“How awful!” Sara teased sarcastically. “How will you survive?”

“It will be miserable, Sara. You know how strong emotions affect me.” He rubbed his temples and took a shuddering breath. “It’s overwhelming.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Mickey.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “I’m sure it’ll be-” but she was interrupted by a loud ‘thunk’ and a crash. “Oh.” Sara blinked. “Sounds like someone’s finally moving in across the hall.”

Michele gave a noncommittal hum and closed his eyes. But they flew open the moment music began to play, the bass thumping so loud, it nearly shook the pictures on the walls. “What _is_ that?”

“Music?” Sara offered.

“At that volume, it’s noise.” Michele stood up and made his way over to the door.

“Mickey, where are you going?” She asked, following after him.

“To tell them to turn it down,” he said, twisting the knob. He sensed Sara’s disapproval, but he ignored it. If he didn’t nip this in the bud, they’d have to deal with loud music at all hours. So, he stepped across the hall and knocked on their neighbor’s door, tapping his foot impatiently until the other answered.

“Yes?” A tall man with a neatly trimmed beard and wild sandy-colored hair poked his head out. Then his eyes widened. A _familiar_ pair of blue eyes. “Wow. Mr. Nikiforov said we’d be close, but I didn’t realize we’d be neighbors.”

Even without the mask, there was no mistaking him and the cheerful aura around him. “ _Herkules?_ ” Michele gaped, his right eye twitching.

“Yup, but, uh, maybe don’t say that so loud?” He brought a finger to his lips. “You don’t want to blow my cover, do you?”

Michele snapped his mouth shut, still not quite believing what he was seeing. He barely noticed Sara walk by him, eager their new neighbor.

“I’m Sara Crispino,” she introduced herself, not seeming to care that their identities were no longer secret. “And it looks like you already know my brother, Mickey.”

“Mickey, huh?” he said, that annoyingly cheerful smile of his spreading from ear to ear. Then he faced Sara again. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Emil.”


	2. Herkules

Emil couldn’t believe his luck! Not only had he finally gotten the nerve to apply to the top hero organization in the world, but he’d been accepted. And what’s more? His trainer and new partner was none other than _the_ Affinità! It was like a dream come true.

His older siblings often teased him about it growing up, but Emil was a hero enthusiast. He spent his childhood watching heroes like Ciao Ciao and Primarina on television and, when he grew up, he continued to follow Ardor and Eros, and the ‘Wonder Twin’ duo of Affinità and Aria. With their matching dark purple costumes that practically screamed, ‘Cool.’

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t have a collection of hero cards stowed away in one of his boxes.

Of course, there were so many of them – boxes – so, he wasn’t sure where to start looking if he wanted to find it.

Since his family lived too far for him to commute to work, the company paid for him to get an apartment nearby. Mr. Nikiforov – _the_ Ardor, he couldn’t believe it! – had said something about payroll deduction and listed an amazing amount of numbers – probably a calculation only Statistician could have figured out – and then sent him on his merry way.

The movers had arrived just before he did and, when he walked into his new apartment, he was welcomed by the sight of far more boxes than he’d remembered packing. Then again, he was a sentimental person and it was hard to leave anything behind.

He supposed, however, that the first things he should unpack would be his nightclothes and some bedding. That proved difficult because, even after living with his power for eighteen years, he still seemed to forget his own strength. He lifted a box a bit too quickly and accidentally knocked over another one of the piles. And, in his attempt to pick them up, he hit yet another box, which opened in midair, practically hurling his lamp across the room, where it fell and shattered into a thousand pieces.

“Oops…” He sighed and hung his head. Honestly, he was getting too old for that sort of thing. “Well,” he said to himself, “If I’m going to be unpacking and cleaning, I might as well listen to some music.”

Growing up in a loud family with lots of siblings, it was strange being in the silent apartment. Emil pulled out his phone and started to stream whatever it suggested, which turned out to be a jam. He began to unpack his boxes, all the while shuffling his feet to the music, when he heard a knock on his door.

Pausing the song, he walked over to the door and stuck his head out. “Yes?” But he froze, his eyes going wide as he realized who it was. The man before him was no longer wearing his mask, but there was no mistaking him. And, boy, did he look even cooler without it. “Wow,” Emil managed. “Mr. Nikiforov said we’d be close, but I didn’t realize we’d be neighbors.”

The man stared at him for a moment before exclaiming, “ _Herkules?_ ”

“Yup, but, uh, maybe don’t say that so loud?” He begged, suddenly realizing that they were in the hallway and that it would look really bad if he blew his cover before his first full day of work.

Affinità, or Emil supposed, his alter ego, snapped his mouth shut. Then, as if from nowhere, a young lady appeared, sidestepping the other man and walking right up to Emil, a smile on her face.

“I’m Sara Crispino,” she introduced herself, seemingly unafraid of revealing their true identities. “And it looks like you already know my brother, Mickey.”

“Mickey, huh?” Emil mused, glancing over at the other man. Then he turned back toward Sara. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Emil.”

“It’s a pleasure.” She offered her hand and he took it. “I’m sorry I missed my chance to greet you back at headquarters,” she said and then gave what Emil could only describe as a wicked little grin. “But I heard you’ll be replacing me.”

“Oh no, I could never!” Emile put a hand over his heart. “I’ll just be training with Mickey until I’m-”

“Michele,” he interrupted, narrowing his eyes at Emil.

Emil blinked, taken aback. “I’m sorry?”

“My name is Michele,” he said and crossed his arms over his chest. “Mickey is a childhood nickname.”

“Oh, I see.” Emil felt embarrassed for making that mistake, but, then again, Sara had introduced him as such. “I’ll be sure to call you by your proper name from now on.”

“When we’re working, you will address me by my alias,” Michele said with a curt nod. “Now, if you’ll please refrain from blasting that garbage you were playing earlier. Some of us are trying to enjoy a quite evening.”

“Blasting…?”

“He’s talking about your music,” Sara explained. “It was a little loud.” She offered him an apologetic smile. But then she leaned closer, cupping a hand to her mouth and lowering her voice. “But I love that song.”

A mix of giddiness and relief washed over Emil. “Me, too,” he whispered back.

“Oh,” Sara glanced over her shoulder at Michele and then back at him. “And Mickey usually likes that kind of music, too, but only when we’re at the club. You should see him when he’s had a few-”

“Sara!” Michele called, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Coming.” She shook her head and smiled. “It was nice to meet you, Emil.” She waved and followed after Michele. “And I hope my brother isn’t too hard on you.”

Michele shot her a glare, but she ignored it, brushing past him and into their apartment. He slumped his shoulders and then looked back at Emil. “Be ready first thing in the morning. I want to get this over with.”

“Yes, Sir!” Emil gave a salute and Michele just stared at him. It was hard to tell, but Emil could have sworn that the other man’s ears had tinted just a bit.

“At ease,” Michele replied, looking as though he’d never had to say those words before. “I’ll, uh, see you in the morning, then.”

“Yup!” But before Emil could wave, Michele shut the door.

Even after such seemingly cold treatment, Emil couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He was going to be training with _the_ Affinità! And he was even more handsome in person. Pretty even! Sure, he was a little moody, but that probably came with the whole empath thing.

“Aww, man,” he lamented, slapping a palm to his forehead. “I missed my chance to tell him my power again.” He sighed. Oh well. It would just have to wait until tomorrow.

 

Despite having spent the entire night unpacking every box in his apartment, Emil was up before the sun. He was too excited and eager to go. Besides, Affinità – Michele – had told him to be ready first thing.

He wasn’t sure whether or not to don his costume and, he hadn’t received any instructions, so he put on his civilian clothes. They weren’t as flashy as the suit his mom made him, but they were comfortable and he figured, with a tour of the entire city, he’d be doing a lot of walking.

At a quarter after six, he finally caved and walked across the hall. His fist hovered just in front of the Crispinos’ door and he bit his lip, trying to decide whether or not it would be a good idea to knock at this hour. But, before he had a chance to make up his mind, the door swung open, startling him.

“Affinità!” he gasped when he was suddenly face to face with his new partner and trainer. The other man was still in his pajamas, a robe half on his shoulders with the sash hastily tied around his waist. His hair – which always looked perfectly coiffed – was sticking up at odd angles and there was just the slightest hint of stubble on his chin. “Um, sorry?” he offered, knowing now that he’d made a mistake. “I was just so excited about today and-”

“I _know_ ,” Michele hissed through his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your damn giddiness kept me up all night.”

“Oh.” Emil’s face grew hot. He knew that Michele’s powers were strong, but he didn’t think he could feel his emotions through the walls. “I’ll just, uh…come back later, then.”

“It’s too late. I’m already up.” Michele grumbled and turned to walk back into his apartment, leaving the door wide open.

Emil bounced on the balls of his feet, wondering if that was in invitation to follow him. When he heard a door click shut beyond the living room, he took that as a sign and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

The Crispinos’ apartment was a mirror image of his. But theirs was furnished with much trendier, well…everything. And every wall was adorned with medals and plaques, certificates and awards. Some from the organization and many from the mayor, himself. There were even framed news articles, each featuring what the papers called, ‘The Wonder Twins.’

Now Emil truly felt as though he was intruding. Not into their home, but into their lives. Michele and Sara had always been together and now it was like he was tearing them apart. No wonder Michele had seemed less than enthused when he found out they’d be partners.

He deflated a bit. But then he remembered that it was only temporary and they’d soon be reunited. So, he could at least enjoy getting to work with the hero he admired until then.

Emil turned at the sound of a door opening in the hallway, but he immediately looked away when Michele walked out, wearing only a towel and still dripping from his shower.

Okay, maybe he’d left the door open by accident and Emil wasn’t supposed to follow him inside, after all. He started to plan his escape, but his train of thought was quickly derailed by a high, singsong voice.

“Good morning, neighbor!” Sara greeted, looking just as rumpled as Michele had, but much less grumpy. “You’re up early.”

“Sorry to intrude.” Emil ducked his head. “I was just-”

“Excited?” She finished for him, grinning as she cocked her head to the side. “I know. Mickey was complaining about it all night.” She walked over to the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal from a shelf. “Thankfully, I have a reliable pair of earplugs.” She winked and opened the cabinet for a bowl. “Are you hungry?” she asked, once she’d made herself breakfast.

“I already ate,” Emil said, patting his stomach. In fact, he’d had three breakfasts in an attempt to keep himself from waking Michele up earlier.

“Ah.” She nodded and then reached for a magazine before sitting down at the table. She flipped through the pages as the spoon in front of her scooped up some cereal and rose, hovering just in front of her mouth. She took a bite without looking and continued reading.

In all his excitement over working with the world’s most famous empath, Emil had completely forgotten that his twin sister also had an amazing ability. She had such control over her telekinesis. It was almost as though she did it without thinking.

Meanwhile, Emil still tended to forget his own strength. He certainly hoped the agency wasn’t expecting to get their security deposit back on his apartment.

A moment later, Michele appeared in the kitchen, looking completely put together. His hair was perfect, his street clothes fashionable and neatly pressed, and his face cleanly shaven. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Right.” Emil straightened, not wanting to disappoint. “Where are we going first?”

Michele closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “We’re going to the train station and then heading over to the west side,” he said. “Try not to ask too many questions and, please, _turn that_ _down_ , won’t you?”

Emil blinked. “Turn what down?”

“Your cheer,” Sara answered for him, taking another spoonful of cereal. “Not that you can help it,” she added. “But try to contain yourself.” She giggled and Michele rolled his eyes. “Mickey,” she addressed him, “Are you not going to have breakfast?”

“We’ll get it on the way,” he said and strode forward, brushing past Emil and opening the front door. “I’m going to need stronger coffee than we have here.”

Sara stood up and walked her bowl toward the sink, but she paused to elbow Emil in the side. “Good luck with _that_ ,” she snickered. “Oh, and don’t let him get more than four shots, okay?” She lowered her voice to a whisper, “It tends to amplify his powers and he’ll be kicking himself later.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Emil said and gave her a little salute, which made her laugh.

“Let’s go!” Michele called from the doorway, his arms folded over his chest.

“Ah, sorry, Affinità!” Emil apologized and ran over to him, offering Sara a quick wave over his shoulder before closing the door. “Sorry again. There won’t be any more delays-” but he stopped when he nearly ran into the other man’s back.

“First of all, don’t use my alias when we’re out of uniform,” Michele said. “Secondly,” he turned to face him. “I’ll let you off with a warning this time, but if I ever catch you flirting with my sister again, the apartment across from ours will be vacant. Am I clear?”

Emil’s eyes widened, but he nodded.

“Now,” Michele continued as though he hadn’t just threatened Emil’s life. “In the hero business, it’s important to always be prepared.” He paused. “You _are_ wearing that…costume of yours beneath your clothing, right?”

Wait. Was he supposed to? “Um…”

Michele rolled his eyes. “Go get changed,” he ordered and pointed toward Emil’s door.

“Yes, Affini – uh, Mickey.” He hurried to obey, almost missing the way the other man’s cheeks tinted.

“I thought I told you not to call me that.” He narrowed his eyes. “And don’t forget your mask!” he called after Emil disappeared into his apartment.

“Right! Sorry!” Emil replied, scrambling to get dressed so he didn’t keep Michele waiting.

Being a superhero was turning out to be a lot more complicated than he’d thought.

 

True to his word, the first place that Michele took him to was a coffee shop on the corner, just across the street from their apartment building. The girl behind the counter greeted him with a wide smile and asked if he’d like, ‘his usual.’

“Make it a double, please,” Michele answered, rubbing his temples. “And whatever he’s having.” He gestured toward Emil.

“Oh, you don’t have to-”

“Just order before I change my mind.” Michele accepted the paper cup from the barista and handed her his card before walking over to peruse the various mugs on display.

Emil wasn’t really hungry, but in an attempt to keep his trainer happy, he ordered a bagel.

After their ‘breakfast,’ they continued down the street toward a flight of stairs that led underground. Emil swallowed and he knew before Michele said anything that the other man could feel his unease.

“You don’t like the subway?” Michele asked, tossing his empty cup into the bin beside him.

“I’m…not a fan of dark, enclosed spaces,” Emil admitted, cheeks burning with shame.

“It’s not underground the entire time.” Michele pointed up just as a train whizzed by on the tracks above their heads, which Emil hadn’t even noticed until that moment. He followed the sleek, speeding passenger cars as they made their way to a huge bridge in the distance.

“But if it’s too much, I suppose we can-”

“No, it’s fine,” Emil interrupted, only half-lying. “I’m sure I can bear with it until we go topside.” He swallowed, gazing down the steep cement steps.

“If you’re sure.” Michele raised an eyebrow and Emil nodded. Then he began descending.

The underground tunnels were actually a lot brighter than Emil had imagined. And the ceiling was high, so it didn’t feel like he was in a cave. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, he’d just assume they were in a shopping mall.

Michele led him toward a huge map that took up the majority of one of the walls. “I won’t take you to every location,” he began, tracing his finger along one of the trains’ routes. “But everything is clearly labeled.”

Emil followed his path, but it all looked Greek to him.

“Banks, jewelry stores, and office buildings are hit the most,” Michele explained. “But the government buildings,” he paused, tapping on the map, “those are the toughest.” He turned toward him. “You’ll often receive a call over the radio.” He tilted his head, revealing a small earpiece. “You’ll probably get yours today.”

“Oh.” Emil replied, just feeling like he needed to say something. Instead of just standing there.

“The guys back at HQ will do their best to direct you, but it helps if you have an idea of where you’re going.” He tapped the map again. “Understand?”

“Yes, Affi—Michele.” He nodded and, for a moment, thought he saw the other man blush again.

“Alright, let’s take the yellow line to the hub and then transfer to the green line. That’ll take us to the west side.” He faced Emil. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he offered, grateful that he didn’t have to navigate the railway system all by himself. He was certain he’d get lost.

 

The trains, too, were brightly lit and roomy and that eased Emil’s anxiety. And when they climbed and went up to the surface, he had the most amazing view of the city. Michele continued to point out different land marks and places where he and Sara had worked – careful not to use words like ‘villains’ or ‘heroes’ as he told each tale. No need to draw attention to himself.

Emil remembered a lot of them. And with the visual aids, he could picture the entire scene. Another thing was that Michele didn’t seem to mind sharing. In fact, he looked the most relaxed Emil had ever seen him. Since they’d been introduced the day before, that was.

He was so entranced by Michele’s stories and the deep, smooth timbre of his voice, that he barely noticed when they went underground again. It was only when the train’s lights flickered a few times before going out completely, that Emil realized.

The train slowed to a stop and an automated message began to play, the red exit lights illuminating. _‘Sorry for the inconvenience. The train will be in motion momentarily. Please remain seated.’_

Emil chewed on his bottom lip, panic rising, clawing its way up the back of his neck. Then he felt a warm hand cover his, followed by that same deep voice, speaking to him in soothing tones.

“You’re okay, Emil,” Michele said. And the way he spoke his name instantly calmed him. “There,” Michele added, patting the back of his hand.

The message continued to play over the speakers and Emil closed his eyes, trying to remember all the stories Michele had told him on their ride. It was helping and he soon found it easier to breathe.

But his momentary respite was interrupted by a loud booming noise, which caused the entire train to shake. At first he thought he’d imagined it, but the collective gasps and exclamations from the other passengers confirmed it.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” Michele answered him, half of his face illuminated by the red exit lights. “I don’t get good reception down here.” He pointed to his earpiece.

However, despite the boom and the quaking, the lights on the train turned back on and it began to move. The people around them smiled and breathed sighs of relief. But Emil still felt uneasy. Something had happened. He was sure of it.

And he was proven right when the train completely missed their next stop, blowing by it at an unsafe speed.

“Something’s wrong,” Michele said from beside him, standing up and swaying when the train once again skipped its scheduled stop. Emil followed after him, grabbing onto the bar for support as the train lurched.

They climbed up, the wheels rattling, and finally saw what had happened. The bridge in the distance, the one high above the river that separated the east and west sides, was partially hidden by billows of smoke. And, as it cleared, they could see the damage. Right in the middle, a huge section of track had been blown away.

“A bomb?!” someone shouted from beside them.

“Why isn’t the train stopping?!” cried another.

“We have to do something,” Emil said and Michele nodded. They made their way toward the front of the train, but Emil noticed the way Michele gripped his head, his steps unsteady as they continued on.

When they finally reached the control panel, the operator was nowhere to be found. Michele immediately ran over, scanning for a button that would make the train stop. “There!” He pushed the emergency brake, but nothing happened. The train didn’t even slow.

“What do we do now?” Emil asked, even though Michele more than likely didn’t have an answer.

“We…we…” Michele gripped his head again, swaying and nearly falling to the ground.

“Michele!” Emil grabbed his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“The passengers,” he said, eyes fluttering. “They’re panicking. It’s…too much.”

Now he understood. Just like how Emil had inadvertently kept him up the night before, the emotions of the other people on the train were overwhelming Michele. He gently helped him sit down, resting him against the panel.

What would a hero do in this situation? What was he supposed to do?

Michele groaned and doubled over.

“Hold on, I’ll think of something,” Emil swore, though he knew it was an empty promise. He glanced back up and saw the break in the track drawing closer and closer. If he didn’t stop the train now, they were going to derail and plummet into the water below.

And then, in a moment of clarity, Emil realized what he needed to do. He tore off his street clothes and put on his mask. And, with one last look at his unconscious trainer, he punched through the windshield.

Immediately, the pressure in the room changed. Wind whipped around him, but he pushed forward, climbing onto the front of the train. He eased himself down, his back against the metal and his feet hovering just above the track. Then he let himself drop, digging his heels into the bridge and pressing back against the train with all his might.

Time seemed to slow down as the gap in the track approached. And Emil turned, pushing his palms against the front of the train and bending his knees, the soles of his shoes beginning to wear away. And then, finally, the train began to slow.

Emil clenched his eyes shut, putting all of his effort into stopping the speeding vehicle. Until, at last, he succeeded. The train had stopped.

He slumped forward, resting his sweaty forehead against the hot metal. He didn’t dare look behind him, knowing the gap was probably too close for comfort. And he stayed just like that until the helicopters appeared overhead.


	3. A New Threat

Michele awoke to immense elation. He blinked his eyes open, taking a moment to remember where he was and what happened. He was leaning against some sort of control panel and there were clothes on the floor in front of him. Emil’s clothes!

He shot up, tipping forward as the blood rushed to his head, but he shook the feeling away. He frantically searched for his trainee. How could he have lost consciousness on their first job? How could he have let him down? Let everyone down?

Michele stepped forward, broken glass crunching beneath his boot. He whipped his head around and saw that the windshield had been completely destroyed. Had they crashed? But when he peered out the window, he understood.

The gap in the track was barely a meter ahead, but more noticeable than that was Emil’s panting form, bent over the front of the train.

“E—Herkules!” he called and, quickly shedding his own street clothes and donning his mask, he hopped up onto the panel and crawled out toward the other man. “Herkules! Are you all right?” The overwhelming relief and happiness from the passengers was clouding his mind, making it hard to get a reading on Emil.

“Affinità…” Emil lifted his head and gave Michele a slow, tired smile, his eyelids drooping. “I…stopped the train?”

Michele wasn’t sure if he meant it to be a question, but he nodded. “Yeah. You saved us all.” He wasn’t sure how, but that was the only explanation. Then Michele spotted the news helicopters overhead and, hovering just in front of them was one of the organization’s. “Can you move?” he asked Emil, who answered by pushing himself up on shaky limbs.

When he was finally upright, he seemed to snap out of it, looking up at Michele with wide eyes, concern written all over his features. “Are you all right?”

“What?” Michele blinked in surprise.

“You collapsed. Are you all right now?” Emil reached up and took one of Michele’s hands in his.

“Oh.” His face flushed. “Yes. I’m fine now. Thank you.”

“Good.” Emil released a breath.

“Great job, you two!” someone shouted over the loud wup-wupping of a propeller, though Michele also heard the familiar voice buzzing in his earpiece. They turned and saw Georgi waving from inside the helicopter. Michele wasn’t sure why he’d left headquarters, but then again, one of your team’s heroes didn’t stop a speeding train every day. “Come on in!”

 

When they arrived at HQ, they were greeted by a very warm welcome, indeed. Every hero in the place wanted to get a piece of Emil. Slapping him on the back or reaching up to ruffle his hair – not an easy task with his height.

And while Emil was showered with the praise and affection he so rightly deserved, Michele caught sight of the news report on one of the televisions in the main room. He watched in awe as Emil punched through the windshield, jumped in front of the train, and pushed against it until it came to a stop. It was amazing.

Michele supposed Emil’s power was super strength.

He suddenly felt awful. He hadn’t even cared enough to ask.

But he didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity, because he was attacked, thin arms and legs wrapping tightly around him and a familiar head of dark hair tucking under his chin. “Mickey!”

“Sara,” he gasped, nearly falling back. “What-”

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” she gasped against his neck. “I saw the news and…” She pulled back, her eyes wet. Now Michele felt lower than dirt. He’d not only been cold to his trainee – who then saved his life – but he’d made his sister cry. A crime punishable by death, in his eyes.

“I’m sorry…” He hung his head in shame.

“Don’t be, I’m just…so glad Herkules was there!” Sara lowered herself to the ground and turned to face Emil, who had just escaped a full-on noogie from JJ. She ran up to him and gave him the same treatment as Michele, drawing back to press her palms against his cheeks. “Thank you for saving my brother.”

“I…” Emil glanced over at Michele, probably realizing the position he was in, with Sara draped all over him. But Michele couldn’t bring himself to be jealous. Emil deserved her praise. Emil lowered his gaze back to Sara’s. “You’re welcome. It was an honor to work alongside your brother.”

An honor, Michele inwardly scoffed. They hadn’t worked together at all. Michele had passed out and Emil saved the day. It was as simple as that. He didn’t deserve to be called a hero.

“Hey there, kids!” yet another teammate greeted them and Michele snapped his head up to see Chris. He looked like he, too, had come fresh from the scene of a crime, still clad in his costume – which, as usual, left little to the imagination. “Victor would like to see you in his office.” He pointed between the two of them. “Oh, and,” he paused to pat Emil’s chest. “Nice work, big guy.”

Emil blushed, but then again, Chris had that effect on people. His power was…quite the opposite of Michele’s, actually. But there was no time to explain that to Emil. Though, with the amount of knowledge the newbie had shown regarding other superheroes and their powers, he was probably already aware.

Michele nodded his thanks to Chris and, after one last hug from his sister, he began the long walk to their boss’s office. He was probably just calling them in for a debriefing, but it felt like a death march for Michele.

He’d failed. He’d let everyone down. If Emil hadn’t been there, the train would have derailed and taken all of its passengers with it. Michele knew his power was better suited for a sidekick than a hero. It was clear now that Sara had been carrying him all these years. Every villain they’d brought to justice would have slipped through their fingers if not for her.

She kept them still. Kept the people around them from panicking, from overwhelming Michele. And, without her, he could do nothing.

And Emil. He would have been fine if Michele wasn’t there. In fact, he probably would have stopped the train sooner if he hadn’t been busy taking care of his supposed trainer.

Michele was drawn out of his depression spiral when they reached Victor’s office and Emil cleared his throat. “Should I just knock?” he asked and Michele mustered up the energy to nod his head.

Emil had barely moved his hand back before the door opened, revealing Yuuri, only he wasn’t wearing his glasses and his hair was slicked back. Michele sensed amazing confidence rolling off of him in waves and it was then that he realized it was the _other_ Yuuri. Not to say he was a different person, it was just the way his power worked.

But if the other Yuuri was out, that meant that Victor had needed him. Perhaps this wasn’t the pleasant debriefing Michele had assumed was coming their way.

No, something else was going on.

Yuuri opened the door and allowed them entry. Emil hesitated, so Michele stepped inside first. Victor was sitting at his desk, his elbows on the dark wood and his forehead resting on his interlaced fingers. Stress was dripping from him like cold molasses, causing Michele to shiver.

“Victor,” Yuuri called and their boss raised his head.

“Ah, there they are.” He smiled, but it seemed forced. “Excellent work with the train, boys.”

“Oh, thank-” Emil began, but Michele interrupted him.

“I’m afraid I cannot accept any commendation.” He didn’t have to look at Emil to know the other was staring at him in surprise. “I was incapacitated once we made it to the front of the train,” he explained. “Emil was the true hero today.”

“Mickey…” Emil gaped and the surprise Michele felt was replaced by another emotion, one Michele didn’t often have directed his way.

“I see.” Victor blinked. “Well, then you have my gratitude, Herkules.” He sat up straight in his chair. “For not only saving that train full of citizens, but for keeping one of our best out of harm’s way.”

One of our best, Michele shook his head. He wasn’t worthy of such a title.

“Victor,” Yuuri said his name again, more insistent this time.

“Right.” He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath in through his nose. “We’ve received word that this was no accident,” he said. “The power outage was deliberate, as was the override of the train’s computer system,” he paused. “And I’m sure you heard the explosion that caused damage to the bridge.”

Both Michele and Emil nodded.

“Someone planned all of this.” Victor placed his elbows on the table again, steepling his fingers in front of his mouth. “We can’t be sure whether or not the perpetrator knew the train had heroes aboard, but we know one thing for sure.” He closed his eyes. “This was just a test. Practice for something much, much bigger.”

“What?” Michele gaped and heard Emil echo beside him.

“The plans you retrieved yesterday,” Yuuri said to Michele as he walked over to join Victor behind the desk. “They’re schematics for the entire city,” he explained. “They contain every detail from power cable locations and computer codes to water and gas lines.” He placed a hand on Victor’s shoulder and the other man raised his head. “The incident today was conducted utilizing information from those plans.”

“So…the next one could be bigger?” Emil asked, eyes going wide.

“This attack was small, concentrated,” Yuuri sighed, shaking his head. “But with all the information they received from those files, the next could be catastrophic.”

Michele shuddered at the thought of what someone could do with all that information. But then he suddenly remembered something else. “What about the vile?” he asked and all three turned toward him.

“We had it tested,” Victor answered. “Jìnmò said it was a type of gel explosive, but one he’d never seen before. Mélomanie is still trying to reverse engineer it, so he can create something to combat it.”

Emil slumped in his chair and Michele fought the urge to do the same.

Today’s incident could have ended in tragedy, but the next could be even worse. And considering the villain had the schematics for the entire city, there was no telling where they’d strike next.

“Sorry we couldn’t congratulate you properly,” Yuuri apologized.

“No, this…this is much more important,” Emil said. “What should we do now?”

“I’m going to call a meeting shortly to go over everything we’ve just told you with the rest of the team.” Victor stood up. “But I want the two of you to report to Georgi. He’s developed an earpiece with better reception and a greater reach, so we’ll be able to contact you the moment we get wind of an attack,” he paused, looking at Emil and offering him an apologetic smile. “A hell of a time to start a new job, huh?”

“Victor, the meeting?” Yuuri urged and he nodded.

“Once you’ve seen Georgi, you’re dismissed for the day, but make sure to keep your earpiece in at all times. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir!” they said in unison, standing up to salute him.

 

Michele led Emil down the familiar path toward the supply room and quartermaster’s office. But he stopped just before reaching the door. He should have given a little warning because Emil almost ran into him.

“Mickey?”

“I owe you an apology, Emil,” he said, turning to face him.

“What for?” Emil cocked his head to the side and Michele could have laughed at the genuine confusion he felt from him.

“For the way I’ve acted and the way I’ve treated you,” he clarified. “From the moment you were assigned to me, I’ve been less than welcoming.” He sighed. “And, on the train, I wasn’t able to help you at all.”

“But you _did_ help me!” Emil insisted.

“How?” Michele asked, incredulous. “I slowed you down and lost consciousness when you needed me the most.”

“No.” Emil shook his head. “When the lights went out, I…I-” He swallowed. “-I told you I didn’t like dark, enclosed spaces, right?”

Michele nodded.

“Well, if you weren’t there, keeping me calm, I…I might have done something we’d both regret.” He rubbed the back of his neck as shame sizzled off of him. “I…don’t always have the best control over my powers,” he said. “I’m much better now, but I still struggle sometimes. And once, I, uh…” Emil bit his lower lip. “I was caught in an elevator when the power went out.” He took a deep breath. “Thankfully, I was alone, but I lost it and when I came to, I’d ripped open the doors and punched a hole straight through the concrete.”

“That’s…” Michele raised his brows.

“Awful, I know.” Emil lowered his head.

“No, I was going to say impressive.” Michele reached out and put a hand on Emil’s shoulder. “Your power is amazing, Emil.”

“It…is?”

“Of course.” Michele offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile – he wasn’t used to giving them – and then added, “You stopped a speeding train. If that’s not impressive, I’m not sure what qualifies.”

Emil smiled then, wide and bright, and the blinding happiness that shone from him only caused Michele to wince a little. Perhaps he was getting used to it. “Thank you, Mickey.”

“I should be thanking you,” he said, something foreign welling up inside him at the way Emil beamed. “Anyway, we don’t want to keep Georgi waiting.”

“Right.” Emil nodded and they continued walking the rest of the way to his office.

And it was only later, after they’d received their upgrades, that Michele realized he’d forgotten to correct Emil’s use of his nickname.

 

Because Michele and Emil received their earpieces before everyone else, they had some time to kill until the others were done. And, since Michele hadn’t had anything other than a cup of coffee, he asked Emil if he wanted to grab some lunch.

Again, unbridled excitement shot out of the younger hero like sparks, but Michele had been prepared for it this time. Maybe it was acclimation by exposure, but he found himself less and less dazed by Emil’s ridiculous amount of cheer.

Michele showed him to a café just down the street, a favorite of his and Sara’s. It served traditional food, but with a modern twist, and it never failed to live up to his expectations. And, judging by the way Emil wolfed down his first and second helpings, he’d chosen correctly.

“So,” Michele said after they’d ordered dessert. “Why did you decide to become a hero?”

“Me?” Emil looked up, a little bit of sauce lingering on his lips. “Well, I’ve, um-”

“You’ve got some-” Michele lifted a finger and tapped his lips, but instead of Emil taking the hint, the other’s gaze dropped to where Michele was pointing, his cheeks tinting and an odd, warm emotion flowing out of him. “Emil?”

“Oh, sorry.” Emil coughed and reached for his napkin, dabbing away the sauce before he continued. “I’ve always dreamed of being a hero, but my strength was just so unstable, you know?” He chuckled awkwardly. “I grew up watching the greats on television, but I thought it would only ever be a dream.” He sighed. “I know you can apply as early as fifteen, but I just sort of…chickened out.”

“So, why now?” Michele placed his chin on his fist.

“You promise not to laugh?” Emil asked, looking rather sheepish.

Michele quirked a brow, but nodded.

“Okay.” Emil took a deep breath. “I was helping my neighbor bring her new couches into her house, when I saw a news report.” He blushed again. Michele was beginning to think it looked rather cute. “It was you and Ar—I mean—Sara and, I don’t know, I just…the way you handled everything and spoke about the organization to the press was just…” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

“It’s all right,” Michele said, surprised he wasn’t annoyed. He normally liked for people to get straight to the point. “Go on.”

“Anyway, I guess I sort of…” he bit his lip and looked up at Michele through his bangs, “fell in love.”

Michele, who had chosen at exact moment to take a sip of his drink, nearly choked. “W-What?” He sputtered. Then he narrowed his eyes. “Explain yourself.”

“Ah, I mean, with the superhero way of life.” Emil held his hands up.

“Oh.” Michele sat back in his seat. “For a moment, I thought you meant with Sara.” He couldn’t blame him, of course. But even if he had saved his life, Michele would not hand his precious baby sister over to anyone.

To his surprise, Emil looked discouraged, his brightness dimming just a bit.

“You…didn’t mean Sara, did you?” he asked, just to make sure.

“No.” Emil shook his head, his smile reappearing along with his usual cheer. “I didn’t mean Sara.”

They continued talking over dessert and, before Michele knew it, it was getting late. He only took notice because he received a text from his sister, stating that she saw he’d left and that she was already on her way home.

“We should go,” Michele said and Emil nodded, reaching for his wallet. “No, it’s on me.”

“But you bought breakfast,” Emil argued.

“And you saved my life,” he countered. But at Emil’s little pout, he added, “You can buy me dinner sometime.”

 

As it turned out, Emil _did_ end up buying Michele dinner, but it was a lot sooner than he’d expected. Because, when they arrived at their apartments, Michele found an additional person in his.

“Hi, Fini!” Mila greeted as he walked in the door. She was seated on the couch beside Sara, eating ice cream directly from the carton. And his sister, who was holding the other spoon, just offered him a little wave.

“Hello,” Michele replied and then turned toward Sara. “What’s going on?”

“Mila’s staying with me,” Sara answered simply.

With me. Not with us. That was an odd way to word it.

“Where exactly will she be staying?” Michele questioned, trying his best not to overdo it and blow his top, as he often did.

“In your room, of course.” Sara finally stood up and walked over to him. “Didn’t Victor tell you?”

“That I’d be losing my room?” He frowned, his head beginning to throb. “No, he failed to mention that while we were in his office.”

“No, about the buddy system,” she continued. “Mila and I are partners, since you’re still training Emil.” She peeked around Michele’s shoulder and greeted the other man.

“So, where am I supposed to stay?” Michele asked, already getting the feeling he knew the answer.

“I do have an extra room,” Emil offered, his voice softer than usual.

“I couldn’t impose,” Michele said to him, though he maintained eye contact with Sara. “I can share.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Mickey!” Sara drew her brows down. “You can’t expect Mila to share a room with you.”

“My room,” he corrected. “And why exactly are we having mandatory sleepovers?”

“Because of the threat of another attack,” Mila answered for her, getting up to stand at Sara’s side, her flaming hair flickering and casting a warm glow over everyone. “We have to keep our earpieces in at all times and be ready, should anything happen.”

That, Michele understood. But he would have preferred to stay with his sister. That way he’d know she was safe.

“I’m sorry this was sprung on you, Fini,” Mila said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “But we can’t go against our orders.”

“Of course not.” He sighed. “I’ll go pack my overnight bag.”

 

The room Emil had for him was completely jam-packed with knickknacks and other unnecessary items. But it seemed to be lacking something very important. A bed.

“Where am I supposed to sleep?” he asked, turning to face Emil.

“Ah, well, I have some extra blankets somewhere,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll just, uh, go look for them.”

“No need.” Michele brushed past him, heading toward the living room. “I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

“Oh, no, Mickey, I couldn’t let you do that!” Emil followed after him. “Please, take my bed.”

“But you’re taller than me,” he argued. “Your feet will dangle off the end.”

“I’m not that much taller,” Emil countered. “And it’ll be the same for you.”

“Then it seems we are at an impasse.” Michele sat down heavily on the overstuffed sofa. “It’s getting late…”

“You take the bed tonight and we’ll figure something else out for tomorrow, okay?” Emil offered and the sincerity with which he’d made it had Michele accepting.

“Just for tonight,” he said, even as the other man was practically tucking him in. “I mean it, Emil.”

“Yes, Mickey,” he replied, not bothering to hide his grin. Glad he’d won the argument, no doubt. “Good night.”

Michele huffed, but managed a quick, “Good night, Emil.”

 

Emil must have gotten up during the night to use the toilet and forgotten their arrangement because, when Michele awoke the next morning, he was wrapped in the other’s arms.

It was startling to say the least, but Michele discovered three things that morning. The first was that Emil was very warm. The second was that his grip was incredibly strong, even when he was asleep – was he even human?! And the third was that, when Emil was tired, it was almost impossible to wake him up.

And he learned one more thing later: That it wouldn’t be the last time.

 

The buddy system, as Sara had called it, wasn’t so bad really. Michele was just across the hall and he could still go home and get changes of clothes and his favorite cereal. And living with Emil was actually quite nice, despite the other’s habit of sleepwalking into Michele’s bed – even after he’d bought a mattress for the spare room.

Still, Emil’s blushing face and radiating embarrassment were endearing and, for the first time since…well, ever, really…Michele was getting along with someone who wasn’t his baby sister.

He couldn’t even deny that they were getting closer and, to his surprise, he didn’t mind.

It was strange living with another person, especially someone whose power Michele didn’t quite understand. But whether it was out of curiosity or concern for his well-being – Emil _had_ just accidentally knocked over an entire bookshelf…again – he finally asked Emil about it.

“So, you’re super strong, right?” he inquired one night over dinner.

Emil placed his chopsticks back into his takeout container and rubbed the back of his neck – a gesture with which Michele was growing quite fond – his cheeks tinting a bit. “Yeah. It can get kind of annoying, right?”

“Not really,” Michele answered honestly. “It’s a great power for both offense and defense.” But he stopped when he noticed unease rippling off of Emil. “You don’t like your power?”

“No, it’s not that.” Emil sighed. “It’s just frustrating that I can’t control it,” he admitted. “As a kid, it was one thing, but I’m a grown man. How can I…?” He trailed off when Michele held his hand up.

“I’ve been working in the field for years, Emil, and I still don’t have complete control over mine,” he said, eyes downcast. “You remember the incident on the train, don’t you?” Emil nodded. “Well, we all have our obstacles to overcome and, if you accidentally break a lamp once in a while, isn’t that a fair price to pay for limitless super strength?”

Emil grew quiet, picking up his chopsticks and poking at his fried rice.

“Emil?”

“You’re right, Mickey,” he said, still looking down. “Well, except for the limitless part.”

Michele raised his eyebrows, but let him continue.

“That train was the largest thing I’ve ever handled.” He met Michele’s gaze, a crease in his brow. “With lighter things, like a car, I can lift and carry them no problem, probably for hours.”

“Lighter things, like a car,” Michele scoffed, rolling his eyes as he fought the urge to smile.

“Yeah.” Emil chuckled. “But with the weight of the train and the force behind it…I don’t think I could have held on for another minute.”

“Hey.” Michele reached forward and placed his hand over Emil’s. “Don’t downplay what you did. You pushed yourself to the limit and still saved the day.”

“Yeah.” He smiled then, the bright one that radiated pure sunshine, but there was something else Michele sensed along with it, though it was hard to decipher. “Thanks, Mickey.”

“You’re welcome, Emil.”

 

Their living arrangement continued to go well, as did Emil’s training. And before Michele knew it, a week had gone by.

He was in the middle of testing Emil on the Do’s and Don’t’s of speaking to the press. “If a reporter asks you for your opinion on a criminal’s acts, what do you say?”

“I tell them…” Emil squeezed his eyes shut, wracking his brain. “Um…nothing?”

Michele chuckled despite himself, trying hard to put back on the stern face of a teacher. But it was hard with how adorable Emil’s face looked just then. “You can’t just remain silent, Emil.”

“Oh, right.” He laughed and the sound of it stirred something within Michele. “I guess I would-” But he didn’t get to finish. He was interrupted by a call coming over both of their earpieces.

Michele froze, dropping the review book to the floor as he met Emil’s equally shocked gaze.

There had been another explosion.


	4. The End

Emil and Michele hurried out of the apartment, meeting Mila and Sara in the hallway. They nodded in unison, wordlessly heading toward the elevator. Though, at Emil’s hesitance, they took the stairs. He was embarrassed about his phobia, but the others didn’t seem to mind. Besides, there were bigger things on which to focus.

When they arrived at HQ, soldiers and heroes alike were running around, trying to get things in order. But then Victor walked to the front of the room, instantly getting everyone’s attention.

“Thank you all for responding so quickly,” he said, holding his hands out. “We already have a team at the site. Thankfully, it was a building near the edge of the city, which had already been marked for demolition.”

Emil released a breath and watched as Michele let his shoulders drop beside him. It had probably been overwhelming for him in all the chaos. His arm itched to wrap around his shoulders, to reassure him, but he didn’t think now was the right time.

“We’re not sure why this building was targeted nor do we know whether or not this was the same villain or a copycat.”

“What we do know,” Yuuri continued, standing beside him, “is that the city is not safe.” He paused, looking around the room. “We’re open to suggestions.”

“What if we evacuate?” came a reply. “It’s time consuming, but it would definitely save lives.”

“But what if the villain strikes during the evacuation?” asked another.

“They’ve already destroyed one bridge, what’s to stop them from destroying another?”

“If we wait too long, we could be stranded here!”

Michele wavered beside Emil, grabbing onto his arm to steady himself. The anxious mood of the room had started to get to Emil, so he could only _imagine_ what it was doing to an empath like Mickey.

“People, people, calm down.” Chris stood up and closed his eyes. A moment later, everyone in the room quieted down. Emil felt the effects of Chris’s power, too. His eyelids grew heavy and there was a pleasant feeling bubbling in his chest.

“I hate when he does that…” Michele grumbled from beside him and Emil wondered whether Michele was immune or if the effects were magnified because of his own power.

“Thank you, Chris.” Victor motioned for him to sit back down. “A citywide evacuation would take far too long and leave ample opportunity for them to strike, causing mass hysteria and the possibility of heavy casualties.”

Emil winced at the thought.

Georgi was the next to enter the room, bending over as he fought to catch his breath. “News from the scene,” he panted before making his way over to Victor. “The gel explosives used today were the same as on the bridge.”

Gasps reverberated in the room. So it wasn’t a copycat.

“I see…” Victor brought a finger to his chin. “Any other news?”

“Yes.” This time it was Leo who walked it, Guang Hong following right behind. “I was able to create a solvent that can remove the explosive compound from any surface without endangering the applicant.”

“That’s good to hear,” Victor said, looking relieved. “How much have you made?”

“We currently have forty gallons, but our team is working hard to create more,” he said.

“But there’s a problem.” Guang Hong stepped up. “We just ran a scan, searching for the compound in the city and,” he paused, swallowing, “there are traces of it on every building.”

“What?” Victor gasped. “How much will we need in order to remove it?”

Both Leo and Guang Hong turned toward Seung-gil, who was sitting completely still, his eyes closed. Then his eyelids fluttered open. “256,972.68 litres,” he paused and then added, “67,885 gallons.”

“There’s no way our lab can make that much!”

“They’re going to strike again before we can stop them!”

“We need to evacuate now!”

“There are too many people! We’d be inviting another attack!”

Everyone was shouting, all making good points, but not getting anywhere. And when Michele gripped Emil’s bicep tighter, staggering and letting his head rest on his shoulder, Emil spoke up. “What if-” he began, but no one paid him any attention. “What if,” he said again, much louder this time.

“Everyone, please!” Victor threw his arms out, glancing over at Chris. Following his orders, Chris stood up and released his pheromones again, instantly calming the room. “Thank you.”

“I believe Herkules had a suggestion,” Yuuri said. And suddenly all eyes were on him.

“Uh, yes.” He swallowed. “What if we try and reach out to this villain?” he suggested. “They’re holding the entire city for ransom, so, they must want something.”

The crowd began murmuring and Emil received a few thumbs up from his fellow heroes. But before they even had a chance to consider how they’d contact their foe, the lights went out.

Without thinking, Emil wrapped a protective arm around Michele, who, despite Chris’s calming attempts, still held his arm in a death grip.

The power flickered back on after a moment and that’s when Emil heard an unfamiliar voice in his ear. It seemed everyone else could hear him, as well.

‘Hello, heroes,’ he greeted, sounding as though he was grinning. ‘Seems like you’ve got it all figured out, huh?’

“Who are you?” Victor asked, but when the man didn’t answer right away, he spoke again. “We know you can hear us, so reveal yourself.”

‘I’d rather keep my identity a secret,’ he drawled, buzzing in their ears. ‘Like you all tried so hard to do.’

What was this person getting at? He knew them? Even their alter egos?

“Are you the person behind the explosions?” Yuuri asked.

‘Bingo. Nice job, Eros,’ he rasped, chuckling darkly. ‘And here I thought you retired. Still sharp, I see.’

“What do you want?” Victor wrapped an arm around Yuuri’s waist, clearly not pleased with just how much the man knew.

‘What do I want?’ He hummed. ‘Nothing, really. I was just curious to see what I could do.’ He laughed again. ‘Funny what you can accomplish when you’ve hacked into the city’s mainframe.’

“He can see and hear everything,” Phichit said. “He has access to all of my cameras.”

‘Very astute, Selca,’ the men replied. ‘And I was sitting here thinking you were just a desk jockey.’ He clicked his tongue. ‘Oh, and Statistician,’ he addressed Seung-gil, ‘Stop trying to locate me. No amount of calculations will ever lead you to where I am.’

“There must be something you’re after,” Victor spoke again. “What can we give you to keep our city safe?”

‘I told you, I’m not after anything,’ he said, voice edging on annoyed. ‘I just want to see Ardor the golden boy and all his little heroes fail.’ He snorted. ‘Yakov was a fool to promote you.’

Victor grit his teeth, but Yuuri put a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

‘What should I blow up next?’ he mused. ‘It’ll be a while before Mélomanie can create enough of that solvent, hmm?’ He sucked on his teeth. ‘Oh, but that doesn’t really matter, does it? Because he could have all the ‘Boom-Be-Gone’ in the world and it wouldn’t make a difference.’

“What are you saying?” Leo asked.

‘I’m surprised little Jìnmò hasn’t figured it out yet,’ he said, grabbing Guang Hong’s attention. ‘That little something extra in the gel sample you tested. Do you know what it was?’

“We’re still not completely sure, but it had traces of human DNA. We’d just assumed it belonged to the person who handled it,” he admitted, looking to Leo, who nodded in agreement.

‘We’ll you’re half right,’ the man said. ‘But it’s hard not to handle something you naturally secrete.’ He laughed and Guang Hong’s face paled. ‘Figured it out, have you? Well, I gave you the answer, didn’t I? I’m bad at keeping secrets.’

“Alright, so your power is to create an explosive substance.” Victor drew his brows down. “What do you want?”

‘You just don’t listen, do you, pretty boy? Some prodigy.’

Emil didn’t like how this conversation was going. Every villain he’d ever heard of was after something. Be it riches, control of the city, power, something. But this man seemed content to watch the world burn. There was no reasoning with people like him.

‘Here’s the deal. Since you all seem unable to get it, I’ll just blow up something else.’

“No!”

‘Let’s see…what would cause you the most pain?’ He clicked his tongue again as he thought. ‘Ah, what about the children’s hospital on the west side?’

Everyone froze. He wouldn’t.

‘I like round numbers, so let’s say…one o’clock?’ And then the line went dead.

Panic began to rise in the room once again.

“What are we going to do?”

“This guy’s a monster!”

“We need to clear everyone out of the hospital!”

“That’s exactly right,” Victor called them to order. “Georgi, get your soldiers to the hospital ASAP. I want it completely empty in the next fifteen minutes.” He turned to the heroes. “Every one of my field agents should report to the scene immediately. I will give you your assignments over your earpieces before you arrive. We have no time to waste.”

“Right!” Everyone mobilized, finding their buddies and heading toward the supply room for transportation. The determination they all felt overweighed their anxiety and Michele straightened at Emil’s side, finally releasing the breath he’d been holding.

“Mickey, are you okay?” He wanted to hold him. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t still feeling the effects of everyone’s hysteria. But he also knew they needed to go now.

“I’m fine.” Michele nodded, alleviating a bit of Emil’s worry. “Let’s go. We have no time to lose.”

 

 

Michele was thankful there was a plan. The meeting room had been so chaotic and stifling, he wasn’t sure if he could have lasted another minute. And now that his mind was clear, he was finally able to process the information he’d received.

First of all, the explosions were connected and they were both the work of one villain. Secondly, said villain’s power was to produce a type of explosive gel. In addition, he not only had the schematics for the entire city, he also had hacked into the city’s mainframe, getting any additional information he needed, including everything about the organization.

He knew everything they did, including their identities.

It was terrifying. But what scared Michele even more was the fact that there was no stopping this maniac. He wanted no ransom, nothing in exchange for the city’s safety. He simply wanted to throw everything into chaos.

He was disgusting.

When they arrived in the supply room, Georgi was quickly dividing everyone into teams and showing them which vehicles to climb into. They were driven by the organization’s soldiers – team members without powers. But they were far from powerless.

Otabek, their driver, was one of the best out there. His aim was more accurate than a computer’s and he always gave the best cover.

Michele was glad to find out he and Emil would be traveling with Sara and Mila. He knew that both his sister and her new partner were tough enough to handle themselves, but he felt better knowing he could keep an eye on her.

“What a monster,” Mila said as they pulled away. “Threatening the city is one thing, but to actually go through with it?” She shook her head, her fiery hair shooting off sparks.

“And a children’s hospital,” Sara joined in, biting her bottom lip. “How heartless can he be?”

“He doesn’t seem to have a heart at all,” Michele replied. The others nodded, a mix of anger and determination filling the air. He turned toward Emil, who had been strangely silent since they’d left. “Hey,” he said, nudging his arm. “Thanks… for back there.”

“Oh.” Emil gave him a smile, not his usual ‘light up the room’ grin, but a soft one. A worried one. “Sure, Mickey.”

“Are you holding up okay?” he asked. In all the chaos, he’d almost forgotten that Emil had only ever been out on one mission – impromptu though it had been – and it had nearly cost them their lives.

“I’m fine,” he said and then shook his head. “No, I’m not fine. That man…that _villain_.” He drew his brows down, clenching his fists. “What he’s doing is unforgivable.”

“You’re right, but as much as we want to, we can’t sit around cursing his name to the heavens,” Sara interjected. “Our first priority is to get those kids and the hospital personnel to safety.”

“Yeah,” Mila agreed. “And then we can find that poor excuse for a human being’s sorry ass and pound him until his own mother wouldn’t recognize him.”

Michele and Emil turned toward her, surprised, but not necessarily appalled by her suggestion. Otabek snorted from the driver’s seat and Sara grinned, leaning closer and elbowing the other woman in the ribs. “My thoughts exactly.”

 

They arrived at the scene, Victor’s voice coming over their earpieces just as their vehicle slowed to a stop.

The four were assigned to the fifth and sixth floors of the Butterfly Wing. A quick message over the line as they climbed the stairs informed them that the hospital staff was prepared for their arrival.

Despite the stress and fear chilling the air, Michele was able to focus. His team needed him. The last thing he wanted to do was get overwhelmed again and do more harm than good. And the immense pressure in his head eased a bit as they helped the patients out of the building.

The entire evacuation was going smoothly. All of the teams had cleared their floors with a few minutes to spare. The next step was to get those relying on life support to another hospital and the rest of the families and personnel to a safer location.

But just before one, the man’s voice came back over their earpieces, the sound of clapping echoing in the background.

‘Very good, heroes. I’m impressed.’

Michele shivered. This man made his skin crawl. Emil must have taken notice, because there was suddenly a large, warm hand pressed against Michele’s lower back, supporting him. He turned to thank him, but the words never made it past his lips.

‘I almost don’t want to destroy the building now,’ he sighed. ‘Seems a waste with no one in it.’

“Monster,” Sara said under her breath from beside him.

‘Oh, but it looks like you missed a few, huh?’ the man added with a chuckle.

“We didn’t miss any,” someone said, Michele wasn’t sure who. And he didn’t know if the villain could hear them outside, but he seemed to expect that response.

‘Didn’t check the basement, did you?’ he asked. ‘A few of the kids got scared and hid down there.’

“He’s lying,” Mila said. “Fini, can you tell if he’s lying?” She turned toward him, Sara and Emil following suit.

“I can’t,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Not from this far a distance. And there are too many people between us.”

“He’s playing with us,” Sara growled.

‘You can choose to believe me or not, but in four minutes I will be setting off my explosives and wouldn’t you all just feel awful if the five of them died?’ He snickered.

“He’s right,” one of the hospital workers came up, holding a tablet in her hands. “I’ve just received a full headcount and we’re missing at least three children.”

“Damn it,” Michele snarled.

“We’ve got to go back in there,” Emil said, stepping forward.

“There isn’t enough time,” Seung-gil’s voice came over the earpiece. Apparently the villain had left the channel, allowing them to communicate once again.

“The building is going to blow in just over three minutes,” Phichit added, sounding more frightened than Michele had ever heard him. “Seung says you won’t even reach them before then.”

“Then we’ll have to hurry,” Mila replied, ready to go.

“It’s impossible,” Seung-gil said, but his voice broke at the end.

Then Victor came over the line, the loud sound of helicopter propellers almost drowning him out. “All units proceed with the original plan of getting the evacuees to safety,” he said and then went on. “Affinità, Aria, Plamya, Herkules.” They perked up. “The children that are still inside…if you’re not opposed-”

“Way ahead of you, Old Man.” Mila smirked, running back into the building.

“We’ll get them out,” Sara added, hot on her heels.

Michele turned to Emil, who nodded. “Let’s go.”

 

They ran inside, immediately making their way to the stairs. They’d just taken the last step when the power went out. Michele cursed, blindly reaching out for Emil, but coming up emptyhanded. He knew the other didn’t like dark, enclosed spaces.

“It’s okay,” Mila said, her flaming curls growing in volume. “I’ll light the way.”

They continued on until they reached the end of a long hallway, where a huge metal door blocked their path.

“It’s got an electronic lock,” Sara said, giving it a shove. “We can’t open it without power.”

“Let me try.” Emil stepped forward and gripped the sides, giving it a mighty tug. It took a moment, but the door flew off its hinges, granting them access.

“Nice one, Herk!” Mila cheered and led the way, the others following right behind. And there, just a few paces ahead, were the five missing children. But there were two familiar faces among them. “Yuri? Minami?”

“What are you two doing here?” Sara gaped.

“Who?” Emil began, but Michele answered before he could finish.

“Two other trainees at the organization,” he explained. “But they haven’t been given clearance to go out in the field yet.”

“Did you miss the part when the geezer said ‘every one’ of his agents?” Yuri quirked a brow.

“We couldn’t just sit back there and do nothing,” Minami added, his arms wrapped protectively around a little girl. There were two more behind him, peeking over his shoulder, frightened but curious.

“That still doesn’t explain how you ended up down here,” Sara said, reaching out for them.

“We were helping clear some of the floors when we noticed these three heading for the stairs.” Yuri pointed to the girls and, as Mila drew closer and illuminated their faces, Michele realized they were triplets.

“We tried to catch up to them and got lost and then the door wouldn’t open and…” Minami hung his head in shame. “We were looking for another exit, but then the power went out.”

“Well, no matter the reason, we have no time to waste.” Mila offered her hand to one of the girls, who hesitated before taking it. “We have less than a minute before the building-” but she was interrupted by a loud boom, which caused the entire room to shake.

“Get out of there!” Phichit’s voice came over the line, a little garbled.

“He’s started with the top floors,” Seung-gil was next. “Have you found the missing children?”

“We’ve got them,” Sara answered. “We’re going to take them out now.”

“We’re so sorry,” Minami blubbered.

“You can apologize after,” Mila sighed. “C’mon.” She lifted one of the little girls into her arms and headed toward the exit. Michele stepped to the side to let them pass, just catching the girl say something about Mila’s ‘pretty fire hair.’

Sara was next, picking up another girl and following after Mila. Emil reached out for the third child, but she shook her head, clinging to Minami. He nodded and picked up Yuri instead.

“I don’t need to be carried,” he complained, kicking his arms and legs wildly. “I’m a hero in training, damn it.”

“I’m sorry, but it’ll be faster this way,” Emil apologized and ducked through the door way.

Michele helped Minami to his feet and the three of them ran to catch up with the others. It was only a matter of time before the explosions reached the lower floors and that would cause the entire building to collapse on them.

Time, it seemed, was not on their side. Because just as they made it to the top of the stairs, another tremor shook the foundation. Thankfully, they caught themselves, but when they opened the door to the first floor, smoke billowed out and Michele could see flames licking up the walls just beyond it.

“Take her,” Mila said, handing the little girl off to Michele. “I’ll hold it back until we’re through.” She lifted her hands, drawing the fire up and over her head, giving them a clear path. They dashed through, Mila following behind, but that wasn’t the end of it.

Another violent quake knocked down part of the ceiling, raining burning chunks of building down onto them. They almost made it through, but the entirety of the floor above fell, ready to crush them.

Emil moved quickly, apologizing again as he sent Yuri sprawling onto the floor and caught the enormous piece of concrete and rebar.

“Herkules!” Michele shouted, afraid he couldn’t handle the immense weight.

“Go!” he cried through gritted teeth. “Get them out of here.”

“Not without you,” Michele argued, handing the girl back to Mila, so he could help Emil. Though he had no idea how.

“Hang on, Emil.” Sara stepped forward, handing her child to Yuri so she could raise her hands. She closed her eyes, straining as she fought to help lessen his load. “It’s…too heavy…”

“Don’t…worry about me,” Emil winced, one of his legs nearly buckling. “Just…get out.”

“We’ll come back for you, okay?” Mila promised and ran out to safety. Sara said the same, picking up her little girl and getting her out of there.

“Mickey,” Emil hissed. “Go!”

“Yuri, Minami,” Michele called getting their attention. “Get her out of here, okay?” They nodded and ran the last little girl out of the collapsing building. “I’ll wait here with you until they get help.”

“Are you crazy?” Emil clenched his eyes shut, grunting as he fought to keep the ceiling from falling.

“I’m not leaving you,” Michele swore.

“Why are you two still inside?” Seung-gil came over the radio. “Get out of there! The entire building is collapsing!”

“I’m not leaving without Emil!” There was no way he could. Not after the other man had saved _his_ life. Not after the week they’d had. Not after everything. He’d never felt this close to anyone other than Sara before and he was damned if he was going to abandon him. “I’ll go once we get help.”

“We don’t have a single vehicle strong enough to replace him,” Phichit said. “Everyone’s out. You two need to leave now.”

“I…can’t,” Emil admitted, opening his eyes. “If I let go, this whole thing is coming down.”

Michele was picking up a strange mix of emotions from the other man. Sadness…regret…and something much, much deeper.

“You go ahead, Mickey,” he said, voice soft, but he heard it despite the roaring fire behind them. “Once you’re out, I’ll use the last of my strength to toss this thing back and I’ll be right behind you, okay?”

“I’ve done the calculations,” Seung-gil interrupted. “Herkules, that’s not-”

“I’ll be _right_ behind you, Mickey.” He met his gaze, his eyes watering and Michele knew, even without his power, that Emil was lying. “Go.”

But he didn’t want to. He couldn’t. Still, there was a force pulling him backwards. A moment later, he was back outside, the bright light of midday burning his retinas.

“Got you,” Sara said, releasing him from her hold. “Now I’ll grab Emil.” She brought her hands up, but at that moment, the building collapsed, sending dust and smoke in every direction. She quickly changed her position, putting up a barrier around those who remained and had not yet been taken to another facility.

When the smoke cleared, Michele stepped forward on shaky legs.

“No…” he breathed, eyeing the mangled metal and concrete before him. Emil had sacrificed himself to save him. To save all of them. “Emil…” He fell to his knees. “EMIL!!”

“No,” Sara gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

‘Aww, what a shame,’ the man’s voice crackled over the line. ‘Only one casualty.’

“You bastard.” Michele stood up. “You did this.”

‘And there’s more where that came from, heroes.’ He laughed. ‘My next target is-’

“I’m going to kill you,” Michele snarled.

‘Well, that’s the most passionate I’ve ever seen you, Aff-’

“Where are you?” he growled.

‘Like I said before, it’s impossible to find me.’

But that wouldn’t stop Michele from trying. He closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the shock and sorrow all around him. He wouldn’t let it overwhelm him. Not again. He needed to focus. He reached out with his mind, searching for the only emotion that didn’t match.

Then he felt it. Smug, twisted glee. He could pinpoint it.

Michele didn’t know he was falling until he hit the ground. Sara was beside him in an instant, lifting his head and placing it on her lap. “Mickey? Are you alright?”

He opened his eyes, placing a hand over his earpiece to make sure Seung-gil and Phichit copied.

“I know where he is.”

 

Michele gave the location. It had been crystal clear in his mind. He’d never used his power that way before. Hell, he’d never been able to ignore the negative emotions around him before. He just wished he’d mastered it under different circumstances.

He stood up, holding a hand out when Sara tried to help him, and turned to face the building. No, the rubble. Heat burned behind his eyes and tears blurred his vision. Emil had saved him again. He’d pushed himself far beyond his limits and had paid the ultimate price.

Emil was a true hero.

Michele walked forward on numb legs, dropping to his knees and placing his hands against the rock. It was still warm. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall.

“I’m sorry, Mickey,” Sara whispered, but he didn’t turn to face her.

Then, an amazing thing happened. Michele sensed something from beneath the debris. It was strong, powerful. Determination and willpower. “He’s alive,” he realized.

“What?” Sara gasped. “Mickey, are you sure-”

“He’s alive!” Michele shot up and ran atop the wreckage, moving the broken pieces of building as quickly as he could. “Emil’s alive! Help me!”

Half a second later, Sara and Mila were by his side, Yuri and Minami right behind them. They moved the rocks until finally, _finally_ , Emil appeared. His pure white costume was covered in dust and there were several cuts in the fabric and on his body that would definitely need stitches, but he was okay.

Once they pulled him free, Emil looked at Michele, that blindingly bright smile on his face. “Mickey, I-” but he didn’t give him the chance. Michele pressed their lips together, wrapping his arms tightly around Emil’s shoulders.

When they pulled apart, Emil looked dazed, but he was still grinning. “Wow, that was-”

“You’re not human,” Michele said breathlessly, tucking some of Emil’s unruly, dust and blood-encrusted hair behind his ear. “How the hell are you alive?”

“I’m pretty stubborn,” Emil said with a laugh, coughing up a bit more dust. “Plus,” he added. “I promised you, didn’t I? That I’d be right behind you?”

“You…” More tears welled up and Michele didn’t bother to wipe them away.

“So,” Emil began, reaching and wiping Michele’s cheek with the pad of his thumb. “What was that kiss about?”

Michele flushed, but he cleared his throat. “It was a thank you…for saving my life.”

“I see.” Emil beamed. “And that’s all it was?”

“And…maybe I’ve developed some…feelings for you,” Michele admitted, his cheeks burning. “You know, after being forced to live with you and all.”

“Of course.” Emil nodded. “So, a kiss for saving your life, huh?”

“Yes,” Michele answered, his gaze dropping to Emil’s lips as he leaned in closer.

“I’ve saved your life twice, you know.”

Michele raised his brows, but he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “I guess I owe you one more.”

They kissed again and Michele sensed the fondness, happiness, and even annoyance coming from their audience. But he blocked them out, focusing on the one emotion that mattered. The one coming from Emil. The one that matched his perfectly.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think and shout about this AU on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!
> 
>  **Here are the code names and powers:**  
>  Michele - Affinità - (extreme) empathy  
> Sara - Aria - telekinesis  
> Emil - Herkules - super strength  
> Phichit - Selca - photographic memory  
> Seung-gil - Statistician - human calculator  
> Victor - Ardor - charisma  
> Yuuri - Eros - two forms, mild mannered and exuding confidence  
> Leo - Mélomanie - manipulates music and sound  
> Guang Hong - 浸没 Jìnmò - illusions  
> Mila - Plamya - pyrokinesis  
> Chris - ??? - pheromones  
> JJ - The King (probably) - ???  
> Otabek - ??? - pinpoint accuracy  
> Yuri - ??? - ???  
> Minami - ??? - ???  
> The Villain - ??? - secretes explosive gel


End file.
